Description: The quality of the habitat information derived from remotely sensed data is determined by the quantitative process of accuracy assessment and ground validation. The purpose of accuracy assessment is to identify and quantify errors in the maps by comparing the attributes of the map versus reference data at various sites. Selected sites were visited in the field for typological validation.
Description: The purpose of this survey data was to collect information on current habitat conditions at random locations throughout the mapping area. Locations were determined by an iterative, GIS-based, stratified random sampling technique to ensure that all bottom classifications would be assessed. This information was used to evaluate the thematic accuracy of the St. John benthic habitat map.
Description: The purpose of this survey data was to investigate areas of imagery where uncertainties existed on the photo interpreter's behalf during the decision making process of benthic habitat classification in St. John. This information was incorporated into a fine-scale assessment of the status, abundance, and distribution of marine habitats of St. John.
Description: These are the boundaries for all polygons in the classification scheme, broken out by the Biological Cover, Live Coral Cover, Structure, and Zone fields.
Description: Eighteen distinct and non-overlapping biological cover classes were identified that could be mapped through visual interpretation of remotely sensed imagery. Cover classes refer only to the dominant biological component colonizing the surface of the feature and do not address location (e.g., on the shelf or in the lagoon) or structure type. Habitats or features that cover areas smaller than the MMU were not considered. The cover types are defined in a collapsible hierarchy ranging from eight major classes (Algae, Seagrass, Live Coral, Mangrove,
Coralline Algae, No Cover, Unclassified and Unknown), combined with a modifier describing the distribution of the dominant cover type throughout the polygon (10%<50%, 50%-<90%, and 90%-100%).
Description: Four distinct and non-overlapping percent live coral classes were identified that can be mapped through visual interpretation of remotely sensed imagery. This attribute is an additional biological cover modifier used to maintain information on the percent cover of live coral, both scleractinian and octocorals, even when it is not the dominant cover type. In order to provide resource managers with additional information on this cover type of critical concern, four range classes were used (0% - <10%, 10% - <50%, 50% - <90%, and 90% - 100%). Hardbottom features are classified into these range classes based on the amount of combined scleractinian and octocoral present in a polygon. Distinction of scleractinian coral versus octocoral was limited by the current state of remote sensing technology and could not be separated in the Live Coral Cover modifier.
Description: Sixteen distinct and non-overlapping geomorphological structure types were identified that can be mapped by visual interpretation of remotely sensed imagery. Habitats or features that cover areas smaller than the MMU are not considered. For example, sand halos surrounding patch reefs are often too small to be mapped independently. Structure refers only to predominant physical composition of the feature and does not address location (e.g., on the shelf or in the lagoon). The structure types are defined in a collapsible hierarchy ranging from four major classes (Coral Reef and Hardbottom, Unconsolidated Sediment, Other Delineations, and Unknown), to sixteen detailed classes (Rock Outcrop, Boulder, Spur and Groove, Individual Patch Reef, Aggregated Patch Reefs, Aggregate Reef, Reef Rubble, Pavement, Pavement with Sand Channels, Rhodoliths, Sand, Mud, Sand with Scattered Coral and Rock, Artificial, Land, and Unknown).
Description: Thirteen mutually exclusive zones can be identified from shore to shelf edge corresponding to typical insular shelf and coral reef geomorphology. These zones include: Land, Salt Pond, Shoreline Intertidal, Reef Flat, Lagoon, Back Reef, Reef Crest, Fore Reef, Bank/Shelf, Bank/Shelf Escarpment, Channel, Dredged, and Unknown.Zone refers only to each benthic community’s location and does not address substrate or biological cover types that are found within. For example, the lagoon zone may include patch reefs, sand, or reef rubble; however, these are considered structural elements that may or may not occur within the lagoon zone and therefore, are not used to define it at this level in the scheme.
Description: These are the boundaries for all polygons in the classification scheme, broken out by the Biological Cover, Live Coral Cover, Structure, and Zone fields.
Description: Five distinct and non-overlapping biological cover classes were mapped using a combination of semi-automated classification and visual interpretation of acoustic imagery. Cover classes refer to the dominant biological component colonizing the surface of the habitat feature, and does not address its location (e.g., on the Bank/Shelf). Habitats features that covered areas smaller than the MMU (1,000 m2) were not mapped independently. Biological cover types were grouped into five major classes (i.e., Algae, Seagrass, Live Coral, No Cover and Unknown), and were combined with a modifier describing the density and distribution of the dominant cover type within the habitat feature (i.e., 10%-<50%, 50%-<90%, and 90%-100%).
Description: Four distinct and non-overlapping percent live coral classes were mapped using a combination of semi-automated classification and visual interpretation of acoustic imagery. This attribute is an additional biological cover modifier used to denote information about the percent cover of live coral (both scleractinian and octocorals), when it was not the dominant cover type. In order to provide resource managers with additional information about corals, four range classes were used (0% - <10%, 10% - <50%, 50% - <90%, and 90% - 100%).
Description: Thirteen distinct and non-overlapping geomorphological structure types were mapped using a combination of semi-automated classification and visual interpretation of acoustic imagery. Geomorphological structure refers to a habitat feature’s dominate physical composition and does not address its location (e.g., on the Bank/Shelf). The structure types are defined in a collapsible hierarchy ranging from three major classes (Coral Reef and Hardbottom, Unconsolidated Sediment, and Unknown), to ten detailed classes (Individual Patch Reef, Aggregated Patch Reefs, Aggregate Reef, Pavement, Pavement with Sand Channels, Rhodoliths, Rhodoliths with Scattered Coral and Rock, Sand, Sand with Scattered Coral and Rock and Unknown). Habitat features with areas smaller than the map’s minimum mapping unit or MMU (1,000 m2) were not considered. For example, sand halos surrounding individual patch reefs were often too small to be mapped independently.
Description: One geographic zone (i.e., Bank/Shelf) was identified in the moderate-depth area, corresponding to typical insular shelf and coral reef geomorphology.Zone only refers to the location of a benthic habitat feature and does not address the habitat feature’s substrate or biological cover types. For example, the Bank/Shelf zone may include patch reefs and pavement; however, these are considered structural elements that may or may not occur within the Bank/Shelf zone and therefore, are not used to define it.
Description: This image represents a 2x2 meter resolution bathymetry surface of the moderate-depth portion of the NPS's Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument, south of St. John, US Virgin Islands. The depth values contained in this surface are in meters.
Description: This image represents a 2x2 meter resolution backscatter mosaic of the moderate-depth portion of the NPS's Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument, south of St. John, US Virgin Islands. The backscatter values are in relative 8-bit (0 – 255) values, since neither intensity surface was calibrated. Soft bottom and rhodolith habitat types were delineated and classified from this backscatter image.